Foe watches



( No Model.)

B. LE COULTRE.

GLIGK SPRING FOR WATCHES. No. 358,207. l Patented Feb. 22, 1887;

WITNESS/58 WI? .I

Afro/mm,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN LE OOULTRE, OF SENTIER, SWITZERLAND.

CLICK-SPRING FOR WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 358,207, datedFebruary 22, 1887. Application filed October 19, 1886. Serial No.216,631. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN LE OoULTRE, a citizen of Switzerland, and aresident of Sentier, Switzerland, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Olick-Springs for Watches, of which the followingisaspecification.

Heretofore the click-springs used in watches, especially those of Swissmanufacture, have been fastened to the bridge or plate at one end, andtheir thickness was decreased adjacent to said end for the purpose ofgiving them sufficient spring-tension. By thus decreasing the thicknessthe springs are Very I 5 apt to break, especially at the thinner part.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved click-springfor watches, which is not apt to break,and is simpler in constructionthan the ordinary click-springs used heretofore.

The invention consists in an L-shaped clickspring pivoted at the angleto the plates of the works, one arm of the L-shaped spring restingpermanently against the plates or bridge 2 of the works and the otherbeing adapted to spring toward and from the same.

The invention further consists in a guidepin projecting from the freeend of the clickspring into a recess of the bridge or plate on 0 whichthe spring is fastened, for the purpose of keeping the spring in place,all as will be fully described hereinafter, and finally pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of the works of awatch provided with my improved click-spring. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe click-spring and of the wheel with which it engages. Fig. 3 is adetail sectional view of the click-spring and the aperture in the plateinto which the pin of the click-spring can pass.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The clickspring A is made approximately L-shaped, and is pivoted at itsangle by a pivot or screw, B, to a plate, 0, against which the longershank, A, of the spring A rests. The end of the longer shank, A, isprovided with a bevel, D,which engages with the teeth of the wheel E.The other shorter shank, A is located in a recess in the edge of theplate 0, and rests against the edge of said recess.

A pin, F, projects from the springing end of the shank A, and can passinto an aperture or notch, G, in the edge of the bridge or plate O. Saidpin serves to guide the springing end of the spring, which is necessary,as the spring is of considerable length and might work up and down andout of engagement with the teeth of the wheel E,which frequently happenseven with shorter springs.

When the wheel E revolves, the teeth of the wheel press the beveled endD of the shank A in the direction of the arrow 00, Fig. 1, and when thetooth slides from under the head D the spring snaps back in the inversedirection of the arrow 00, Fig. 1, and so on. The shank A turns orswings on the pivot B, and is brought back to its original position bythe spring-tension in the shank A The shank A is not sprung, but remainsrigid, all the spring-tension of the clickspring being in the shank At.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 7 5 1. A watch having an L-shaped click-springpivoted at its angle, the edges of said L- shaped click-spring restingagainst the edges of a bridge or plate, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. A clickspring for a watch having its swinging end provided with a.guide to prevent the swinging end of the ratchet-wheel from moving fromthe plane of the ratchetwheel sufliciently to disengage the swinging endof the click-sprin g from the ratchet-wheel, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a watch, the combination, with the bridge or plate having anaperture in its edge, of a click-spring held at said edge, and pro-Vided on its swinging end with a guide-pin which can pass into anaperture of the plate for the purpose of maintaining the swinging end ofthe click-spring in position in relation to the face of theratchet-wheel, substantially as shown and described.

Signed at Ohaux de Fonds, in the Canton of N euchatel and Republic ofSwitzerland, this 24th day of May, A. D. 1886.

BENJAMIN LE COULTBE.

Witnesses:

L. ROZAT, JAMES BOILLAT,

